Organizational Leadership (OL) Courses

OL 210. Career Development (3)

The purpose of this course is to provide working adults with the skills essential in making informed career decisions that address present and future job realities. This course will teach the basics of career development, emphasizing career development as a lifelong process. You will: (1) develop and refine individual career goals and utilize various methods to gather career-related information, (2) become actively involved in the fundamentals of writing resumes and job search letters, (3) explore various job search methods with an emphasis on networking skill development and technology, and (4) learn and practice successful interview techniques.

OL 211. The Effective Job Search (1)

Available only for students who have not taken OL210, this course is intended for the student who may be seeking a variety of employment opportunities and is not well-established with a particular employer, or who is interested in opportunities within organizations other than where he/she is currently employed. In this one credit hour course, students will learn all aspects of how to conduct an effective and targeted job search. This includes refining career goals, knowing where to look for a job, developing and refining a resume, writing professional and polished cover letters, as well as fine-tuning interview skills and salary negotiation techniques. Students will also learn the importance of networking, how to monitor labor market considerations that may impact future employment, and how to survive and thrive in a new workplace.

OL 212. Evaluation and Exploration (1)

Available only for students who have not taken OL210, this course is intended for the student who is unsure of a specific career path or how he/she will utilize the Millikin degree. This course would be particularly helpful for the student who is early in his/her college career and may have limited professional work experience, or is interested in changing career paths. In this one credit hour course, students will use a variety of assessment tools designed to learn more about personal values, interests, personality traits, and skills. Students will also explore careers in order to determine options that might be a good fit. Additionally, they will reflect on how their particular major will prepare them for these career options and begin the process of developing a specific career goal. This course will emphasize career development as a lifelong process and the development of a career self-reliance mentality.

OL 213. Moving up the Corporate Ladder (1)

Available only for students who have not taken OL210, this course is intended for the student who is well-established in the workplace and pursing his/her degree in order to be promoted within that organization. In this one credit hour course, students will reflect on past work experiences and skills and create a career development plan to address future career ambitions. Students will also develop and refine their resume, interviewing, and networking skills. Additionally, they will learn the basics of working with and/or managing multiple generations in the workplace; managing change in the ever-evolving workplace; and how to leverage their soon to be acquired degree in order to be promoted and get a raise.

OL 240. Technology and Data Analysis in Organizational Decision Making (3)(Requires acceptance into the PACE OL cohort or approval of the OL Department)

We live and work in a digital era. Nothing we do avoids the influence of technology. This is especially true for organizational leaders in a global marketplace. This course will provide an overview of the functions and development of computer-based management information systems and emphasize the use of information technologies in supporting organizational decision-making.

OL 300. Self-Leadership (3)(Pre-requisites: students must have completed CWRR I & II or the equivalent within the last 7 years. Students must pass this course with a C or better to register for any other course in the major. Also, requires acceptance into the PACE OL cohort or approval of the OL Department)

As the first course in the Organizational Leadership major, Self-Leadership focuses on developing the understanding of personal character as the foundation for effective leadership within an organization. Within the framework of becoming a more effective leader, students will examine the positive leadership characteristics they practice, consider their challenges as springboards for growth, reflect on their own ethical practices, and recognize the importance of communication to cogent leadership.

Through the study of self-leadership, this course is also designed to develop non-traditional students as critical writers, readers, and researchers. Students are asked to read and actively critique leadership materials, write an informed and polished research essay on a leadership topic of their choice employing APA format, and practice oral communication skills through discussion and presentation. While this course does not cover everything taught in the Critical Writing, Reading and Research courses, it will familiarize students with the standards of academic writing and strategies for academic research within the context of the major.

OL 301. Organizational Development through Human Resources (3)Requires acceptance into the PACE OL cohort or approval of the OL Department)

Effective leaders recognize that people are an organization’s most valuable resource. At the same time, a major misconception within many organizations is that human resource development is the sole responsibility of the HR Department or the Personnel Office. Leaders at all levels have responsibility for human resource development. This course is designed to provide an overview of human resources development. Topics may include recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation and benefits, performance evaluation, health and safety, and labor relations.

Understanding and maximizing the performance of organizational members is critical to leadership. Leaders and other organizational members must learn to facilitate effective work relationships and contribute to a supportive organizational culture. Borrowing from a variety of disciplines, including behavioral science and behavioral psychology, this course examines the complex relationships among individuals, groups, organizations and society, and emphasizes motivation, communication, leadership and group relations.

OL 310. Group and Team Dynamics (3)(Requires acceptance into the PACE OL cohort or approval of the OL Department)

A hands-on course designed to prepare students for the world of teams. Focus is to develop students' understanding of team dynamics including team development, member roles, leadership, norm development, role of conflict and diversity in teams, delegation of authority, and team management.

OL 340. Introduction to Finance and Budget in Organizations (3)(Pre-requisite: Quantitative Reasoning. Also requires acceptance into the PACE OL cohort or approval of the OL Department)

This course is an introduction to the financial systems, financial documents, and financial reporting that any mid-level organizational leader will need to understand. Students learn to create, use, and interpret financial statements and to use accounting information to make informed business decisions.

This course promotes leadership development through the study of leadership theory and concepts and encourages the practical application of leadership at all levels in the organization. It includes examination of historical approaches to leadership and leadership theories that focuses on influential contemporary leadership perspectives such as Servant Leadership, Situational Leadership and Transformational Leadership. Through an examination of leadership theory and research, self-assessments and reflection, and application to the work environment, students create a personal leadership development plan.

This course takes organizational leadership a step further and focuses on the ethical considerations inherent in leading and following others. It is designed to encourage socially responsible leadership and foster understanding of how to lead competently and professionally, and to prepare students to recognize and address responsibly the ethical dilemmas which they will face in any leadership position. The course also emphasizes consideration of global issues in terms of social responsibility for leaders.

OL 355. Special Topics in Organizational Leadership (1-3)(Requires approval of the OL Department)

Selected topics on organizational or leadership issues. May be repeated for credit with a different topic. Offerings will be of variable credit from 1-3.

OL 375. Organizational Creativity, Innovation, and High Performance (3)(Requires acceptance into the PACE OL cohort or approval of the OL Department)

What does it take for an organization to thrive in today’s highly competitive, rapidly changing and dynamic global economy? Research on organizations that operate in this environment shows that high levels of creativity and innovation are key factors in those that are the most successful. This course offers its participants the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to encourage creativity and innovation at different levels of an organization: at the individual level, within teams, and at the level of an organization’s systems and processes. Participants will also examine the critical roles played by organizational culture and leadership in fostering an organization’s competitive edge.

OL 385. Leadership, Diversity, and Multiculturalism (3)(Requires acceptance into the PACE OL cohort or approval of the OL Department)

This course will explore diversity and multiculturalism in today’s organizations. The course will highlight in particular issues of race, social class, gender, and age in the workplace, and will address why leaders should foster multicultural environments. Emphasis will also be on learning to value differences and best practices for creating diverse organizations.

OL390. Organizational Development (3)(Pre-requisite OL306, acceptance into the PACE OL cohort or approval of the OL Department)

All segments of our society and world are in a pattern of rapid change. This requires organizations that are prepared to respond to this ever changing environment. This course will address the subjects of managing change in organizations and creating adaptive learning organizations through introduction to specific instruments and interventions applicable to the individual, group, whole organization and external environment.

Taking the lead on a project and seeing it through from start to finish is a highly desirable skill in today’s organizations. Project management might be re-designing a corporate training program or be as extensive as leading an organization through major technological renovations. This course enables students to apply their knowledge of organizational systems, leadership, communication, negotiation and team-building as they demonstrate their abilities to successfully lead (or create a comprehensive plan to lead) a work project. This course is designed to showcase the students’ practical application of their course work in a real-world setting.

OL 450. Organizational Leadership Capstone (3)(Pre-requisites: All courses in the major must be successfully completed prior to capstone)

The OL capstone course is designed to pull together the material presented in all other courses in the Organizational Leadership major. It combines and integrates elements of leadership, communication, finance, human resource development, and organizational behavior. The students utilize case study and experiential learning to determine an innovative organizational mission and vision. These set the framework to make strategic and ethical decisions related to the future of the organization and to develop supporting operational initiatives. The students operate in a self-directed mode, using team process concepts and project management techniques to prepare a final oral presentation on their findings and recommendations. Additionally, through a capstone paper, students will reflect on what they have learned in the OL program and the impact it will have on them as organizational leaders. The course goals demonstrate the graduating class has acquired the skills, knowledge and abilities to perform in the work world and life as successful alumni in Millikin's proud tradition.